You Are A Wonder
by Broadwayfreak5357
Summary: I thought this Stef/Callie one shot was necessary. Takes place in 1x21 after Jude's adoption. Stef comforts her after the non-adoption and reassures Callie of her love and affection. It's my first ever fanfic everyone! :D Give it a chance please xx


**The Fosters: You are a wonder**

**Prompt: My mom used to sing me this song when I was little, and for some reason it's been stuck in my head during all of work, so this just kind of popped up. Takes place in 1x21 after Jude's adoption. Let's all just pretend the scene with Brandon, and then with Wyatt didn't happen, and this is what happens instead, since I'm not really sure where to put this scene! Or whatever. It's my first ever fan fiction, so please be nice? I'd appreciate it! Thanks, and on with the story.**

**Also: I'd sincerely like to thank BoneyCastle237 for her help in beta'ing (is that a word?) and bouncing ideas off of and calming my nerves and also for putting up with my 100000000 messages and emails. Girl, you rock and I am SO grateful xx**

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After cutting the cake and making sure her baby brother was finally safe, Callie stepped out onto the patio and picked up her guitar. Mindlessly strumming a new chord that she had learned, she started to hum along. Ears attuned to years of crappy foster homes heard Stef ease out of the house and pad over to sit beside Callie. She didn't want Stef to say anything, didn't want comfort or pity, and didn't want to be reminded that the universe is always against her.

Out of the norm for her anyway, Stef just sat quietly, waiting for Callie to intimate when it was time to talk. When Callie finally stilled her guitar and glanced pensively at Stef, then looked back down to her hands — eye contact was still hard for Callie, especially when she was out of her comfort zone — Stef knew it was time. Time to quiet all of Callie's fears and worries, things Stef knew wouldn't be properly out of their lives until the dotted line was signed and the papers were filed, officially declaring Callie Jacob to be Callie Foster.

"Sweets?" Stef said, trying to figure out how to even start with this one, this special girl she was so connected to.

Callie just shrugged. Out of the corner of her eye, Stef saw Lena through the kitchen window, laughing and talking with their family and friends. Just the sight of Lena bolstered Stef's courage and gave her the strength to say the things she needed to say.

"Callie," Stef said quietly. Seeing the far away look on Callie's face, Stef said, "Baby, come back to me. Look at me please?" Pleased at the hesitant eye contact, Stef decided to just go for it, no holds barred.

"Cal, I know this is hard, it's hard for everybody, but this doesn't change _anything_. At all. Lena and I still love you with all of our hearts. Our family isn't complete without you and you will be a legal member of this family someday. This is just one last hurdle to overcome. Yes?"

Callie knew if she even locked eyes with Stef, then all her walls would come tumbling down, brick by brick.

Stef sensed Callie was shutting down emotionally and tried to think of some way to help this broken, stubborn girl that she loved oh so very much.

_Lena would be better at this; she's good at the mushy stuff and getting the kids to talk. She's such a good cop,_ Stef thought. _Maybe I just need to be the bad cop — that might be something she needs right now._

"Callie, do you remember what I told you the night you went to rescue Jude in that house?" Stef said sternly, hoping that this time she could finally reach all of Callie.

Callie tried to compose herself, knowing that she was seconds away from being stripped raw by the waves of love and concern radiating off Stef. She mumbled in response.

Stef sighed, and slung her arm around Callie and pulled her close, knowing that was probably as good of a response as she would get from the forlorn girl.

"After you tried to make sure Jude was safe, remember what I said to you? You're not disposable, Callie. You're not worthless. I meant every word. I know you've made some strides and some mistakes in this house, but…" Stef stopped and took a breath, trying to control her emotions.

Punctuating each word with a squeeze of Callie's shoulder she said with as much emphasis as she could muster, "You. Are. Not. Worthless. Callie. Oh Callie love. I told you that I feel like I have five separate hearts running around outside of me, yes? That's you and Jude, Brandon, Jesus and Mariana. You are loved, you are so loved, my sweet girl."

With that, something in Callie finally broke, all the stress and adrenaline she felt at her non-adoption, and the excitement and sheer relief she felt at seeing Jude sign his name with his blue nails caused her to burrow into Stef's waiting, safe arms and finally begin to cry.

Stef sat there with Callie in her arms, tracing aimless, soothing patterns on her back, humming softly in her ear, and waited for her sweet girl to make the next move.

Finally, Callie's tearstained face popped up from Stef's now damp shirt. Seeing the tearstained shirt, Callie began apologizing and Stef knew she would have to nip this in the bud.

Not loosening her grip on the girl, Stef began to dispel Callie's fears.

"Love, you have absolutely no reason to apologize. I'm your mama and I love you. I will never stop loving you and supporting you and being so very proud of you."

Callie took in a deep breath, in shock at seeing Stef's face. You learn quickly in the foster system how to judge people's characters from their eyes, and Callie was floored at the unrestrained love and the tears in Stef's eyes. Finally, it hit her. She had what she had been waiting for since the death of Colleen Jacob. She had a family, people who would crawl through fire to make sure she was safe and loved. At the end of the day, what else really mattered?

Callie flung her arms around Stef, _her mother_, startling Stef in the process. Stef held the crying girl in her lap and began to sing softly, a song that she had sang to all of her children except Callie and Jude, a song that Sharon used to sing to Stef when she was a baby.

_My little girl _

_She is a wonder_

_And she gains a pound each day_

_My little girl_

_Is it any wonder_

_Your mama loves you more each day_

When she heard the song, Callie started crying harder, and Stef worried she might have pushed a little too hard, when she felt Callie start to come back from the abyss.

She decided to wait until Callie composed herself, and said to her girl, "Grandma used to sing that song to me when I was little. I passed it on, singing to Brandon when he was a baby, to Jesus and Mariana when they were adopted, and now to you and to Jude. Callie babe, we love you so much, let us in, please."

Stef sat holding Callie for what felt like hours, Callie's guitar lying abandoned on the bench. She would always feel a twinge of regret and guilt, that she had missed out on 16 years with Callie, but singing the song was a good start to sharing just how much she loved her darling, stubborn girl.

Callie sat up abruptly and her eyes darted around as if looking for an escape route, and Stef took that as her cue.

"You know, Mama has been saying to me for a while now, that you are exactly like me. We're both stubborn, and it feels like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. We try to fix everything and be strong all the time, but we don't have to be. It's okay to let other people in, babe."

The two sat quietly for some time, both lost in their own worlds, and Callie drew strength from Stef's embrace.

Stef placed a kiss to Callie's temple, squeezing her daughter once before releasing her and standing up.

"Come on, there's cake inside and if we don't get in there soon Jesus is gonna eat it all!"

Stef joked with Callie, trying to illicit a reaction — any reaction — from her girl. She was not disappointed when a small, watery grin broke out on Callie's face.

"There's that beautiful smile"

Stef pulled Callie up so they were standing face to face. She was surprised when Callie wrapped her arms around her waist, squeezing Stef in a tight hug.

"I love you Mom."

_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, oh my gosh. Finally._ Stef thought, filled with relief and pure joy.

"I love you too Callie, always," Stef said.

"Ready to go inside, babe?"

Callie looked anxiously at the house, then back at Stef.

"I think I'm gonna stay out here and practice for a little bit, if that's okay?" Callie said nervously, picking up her guitar.

"Sure love, that's totally fine, I'll make sure to wrestle some cake out of Jesus' hands, yes?" Stef said with a laugh.

She squeezed Callie's hand and disappeared inside.

Callie sat outside for a few minutes, aimlessly strumming at her guitar, and looked toward the house — her home. Through the big windows in the kitchen, she could see everyone she loved gathered at the table, talking, laughing, and being a typical family. Callie laughed bitterly to herself – like she even knew what a normal family was. _You had it once_, her subconscious whispered, _and you can have it again. Be a part of a real family and have people who love you unconditionally. _

Callie's resolve strengthened just then. She would be part of this family, this crazy family that broke past her walls and into her heart, she would officially be a Foster. A genuine smile lit up her face as she watched her Jude and Lena, her mama, dance crazily around the kitchen. A lot of kids had one mother in their lifetimes, but she would have three – Colleen Jacob, then Stef and Lena Adams Foster. How lucky was she?

Picking up her guitar, Callie stood and slowly made her way to the door, to her home, and joined her family and friends in celebrating what she had been searching for half her life – a safe place, a family.


End file.
